Though the Ground May Rumble
by Celine Janeway
Summary: In Neverland your greatest fears become your reality. When Pan scatters everyone among the territories of the island, they have to play its games to rescue Henry. Death,glory,love and sacrifice.What secret does the land of imagination really hold and how will it change the most unexpected of hearts? Swan Queen/Ensemble
1. Here Comes the Rain

Adventure begins when all consequence is forgotten. Neverland is the birthplace of such folly, giving even the loneliest of boys a purpose and camaraderie. However, such fancy free days give way to desperate lonely nights raging with unfathomable fear. No one knew that better than Peter Pan, the most lost of the lost boy, because centuries alone can do funny things to the soul and worse things to one's humanity.

A brewing rage bubbled in Pan, as he watched a Queen, a Savior, a Pirate, a Princess, a Dark One and a Sheppard Boy try to tempt fate by derailing his plans and save the boy with the heart of the truest believer. They had intended to surprise him but ended up fighting a battle they were not capable of winning. Pan's rage showed its full force as an enormous white light flashed before the traveler's eyes, hitting them with a force that could split skin and bruise bone. All at once it engulfed the six and dispersed them among the regions of Neverland.

"See how well you find each other now." Pan's smug demeanor returning with each cackle he emitted.

A pool of crimson trickled down the rocky slope, polluting the surrounding emerald foliage. Twigs and debris clung to its bubbling edges slowing its sticky flow. Drums echoed in the distance clashing with the otherwise eerie silence. Two motionless bodies lay strewn along the jungles remote clearing riddled with bruises and lacerations. One unlucky victim's legs gave way to a jagged ivory edge. The only darkness that would find them quicker than death would be the predators that would pick up on the metallic sweet smell of blood. Night threatened the lowering edge of light and the glimmer of stars littered the apex of the sky.

Fingers slowly twitched to life gripping the ground surrounding them. Chocolate brown eyes fluttered open taking in what little they could make out in the dusk. First the sensation of the cold ground under her fingertips registered, then her throbbing bruised body. She inhaled sharply, immediately grabbing her ribs, which were no doubt badly bruised if not broken. Her memory was fuzzy at best, clogged with images of chaotic fighting, smoke, magic and a blonde…Emma. She stumbled to her feet scanning the clearing only to find she was alone. She began to walk back into the thicket of trees.

"Regina?"

She spun around to see Emma half buried by large palm leaves and in far worse shape than herself. She walked toward her removing the leaves from her body, revealing in the process a badly broken and cut leg. As the moments passed, the events that lead to their predicament became clearer but so did her aches. They had been ambushed.

"Don't try to walk; your leg needs to be set, unless you still feel the need to prove your invincibility." Regina scoffed at the memory of Emma trying to fight Pan off with nothing but her father's sword.

"I didn't see you complaining when I saved your life back there."

"Hardly dear I was only giving you the confidence boost you so clearly needed to sit at the grownups table. Obviously the product of true love means nothing when backed into a corner."

"Damn it, just come over here and help me up."

Regina obliged but rolled her eyes enough for Emma to see her distaste at being asked for her help. Emma leaned into Regina's shoulder and balanced on her good leg, hopping over to the largest rock in the clearing and positioning herself half sitting. Both sat in silence accessing their injuries, until Regina began to scavenge the clearing picking up sticks and large branches. She moved toward Emma and ripped at the remaining shards of Emma's pant leg.

"Ouch, jeez what the hell are you doing?"

"We have to move. Pan isn't one to let his prey grow stronger. This is all a game to him, and I want the upper hand for as long as possible. So shut up and let's get you mobile again."

"Can't you just use your magic and fix both of us?"

"No, magic here is foreign and easily sensed. Neverland is powered on imagination."

"Then imagine my leg is healed!"

"You're ignorance is unbelievable. It doesn't work like that."

"Well than oh great 'Queen of everything', explain it to me."

"I… I'm not sure. Damn it, you are infuriating!"

Emma let out the smallest chuckle at Regina's admittance of ignorance. She had never seen her in any position other than utter power and control. However this was the worst of times to be at any disadvantage especially one of knowledge. Regina continued to brace Emma's leg in silence. Emma bit down hard on the pieces of denim Regina had ripped from her jeans. Her eyes began to water as Regina pulled the sticks tighter and closer to her exposed skin.

"AHHHH, Mother of …" Emma's eyes began to flutter as the pain intensified and her consciousness began to fleet.

"Don't you dare pass out on me, Swan! It's going to get worse before it gets better. I have to make it tighter." Regina resisted the urge to yell at her.

"I…give me a distraction… just talk, anything. Tell me…tell me about Henry, when he was a baby or little or anything! Son of a…"

Regina voiced a heavy sigh, smoothed the edges of her blazer and began to tighten the holds on Emma's leg. Emma gave another audible screech of pain and held the scrap of jean ready to place it between her teeth again.

"Talk!" Emma demanded.

"Okay. Okay, the first night I brought Henry home it stormed like I had never seen before. The sky was that unmistakable hue right between blue and gray. It rained fiercely and clouds gathered along the edge of town. The wind was merciless and scattered every leaf from every tree on the block. Henry was so tiny, ten fingers, ten toes and alarmingly alert eyes. He stared at me like I held all the answers in all the realms and it was my duty to tell him all those secrets. I strapped him into his car seat, which took more maneuvering than I anticipated. He didn't make a sound despite the deafening thunder and Maine's seemingly self destructive behavior. I pulled into the driveway and he instantly began to cry. Screaming as if I had thrown him to the weather; whaling as loud as his tiny lungs would allow. He continued for hours. Nothing seemed to appease him; I tried everything every baby book had said. I changed him, feed him, put him in the baby swing, and took him for a ride in the car. Still nothing calmed him."

Regina's voice trailed off as the emotions so heavily attached to that first night bombarded her again. Her eyes began to mist with the faintest trace of the emotions she was struggling to control. She fastened the final bindings on Emma's leg and sat silently next to the exhausted woman.

"I didn't mean for it to be a painful thing." Emma whispered.

"No, it wasn't. I just forgot how much he used to need me. He did cry, nonstop, that first night but only until I held him close. Until that moment I had used everything I could think of to comfort him except for me. My mother wasn't a warm woman; as I'm sure you remember. I wasn't shown affection or coddled when I was in pain. It didn't occur to me that love was the comfort he sought. When I was at my wits end, I undid his swaddling and held him close to my chest; his hot cheek on the skin of my neck. He molded into me, a perfect puzzle piece. Until recently, it was the only way to comfort him when he was upset."

Regina let the story sink in. Maybe now Emma would understand how losing her son had actually affected her. There wasn't much time for contemplation before a rustling could be heard in the nearby bushes, alerting both women to the impending danger.


	2. Braille

A/N: An intro has been added to Ch 1. Please return to it and read it if you haven't seen it.

The sea quaked and foamed at the shores edge meeting the untouched sand and violently pulling its contents back with the release of each new wave. Wind howled amongst the palm trees that littered the forests edge. Water splashed against reaction less feet. Two bodies, just as before, lay unconscious along the deserted beach. Each man began to find a grip on consciousness as the tide rose. Worn fingers traced the rough sand trying to grip the rugged terrain. Flashes of a vicious battle flowed from memory, each picture more horrifying than the last. They had been ambushed. The journey had begun in search of his grandson and as far as his memory served, it had come to a head when Pan's lost boys surrounded his group and picked them off one by one each disappearing into a violent explosion of light.

As Charming turned onto his back the true weight of his injuries became real. His entire body ached, lacerations littered his arms and chest and he had the sense that he had a broken rib on his right side. Surrounded by sand and a rising level of water, he slowly pulled himself to a sitting position and to his misfortune he spotted an unresponsive Hook to his left.

"Get up." Charming kicked hook in his side eliciting a painful moan.

"Was that necessary?"

"Absolutely, we've got to find the others before Pan does. Where are we?"

Hook propped himself up on his elbows and took in his surroundings. He lifted himself to his feet and wiped the sand from his clothes and hair.

"It seems Pan has dropped us just outside the Grotto. Why, I haven't the slightest idea. My guess would be he's having a little fun by separating us before he kills us, a little cat and mouse. He has a rather twisted sense of humor."

"That's what those flashes of light were, we were transported?"

"Pixie bombs, wicked little mongrels."

Charming turned his head scanning the horizon for any sign of the others. "Where would he have dropped Snow and Emma?'

"There are four main parts of the island. The Grotto, Death Man's Dungeon, the Dark Forest to the east and Indian's Territory to the west. No doubt we've all been thoroughly dispersed through the regions but the fastest way anywhere is through the Grotto any other path would lead to the heart of Dead Man's dungeon and that is not a place you'd want to find yourself."

"Let's get a move on, Henry is still missing and each minute we waste is precious seconds away from my family."

"And here I thought we could spend some quality time together."

Charming shot Hook an iced glance and headed in the direction he had pointed to when mentioning the Grotto.

The two ventured along the shore line until they came to a dauntingly large rock formation cutting off the beach entirely and jetting into the forest beyond the beach. The rock loomed hundreds of feet above them and was adorned with moss and dangling vines. Each crevice housed birds and foliage unfamiliar to the prince.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Charming asked.

"Ah impending doom, one of my favorite parts about Neverland. Don't worry it never goes away." Hook smirked

"Fantastic."

Hook stepped impossibly close to the rock face and slid his fingers along the cracks in the stone. He studied each indentation as if it were Braille and held every answer to their predicament. His fingers danced over another crack but this time he tapped it four times and under his breath said "Though I'm of water, make me air". As his breath gave life to the last bit of the phrase, a hollow skid sounded as the face of the stone slide back far enough to reveal a passageway.

"After you, though I should warn you. It would be best if we didn't let our presence be known, I didn't leave Neverland under the best of circumstances."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Charming entered the cavern with Hook close in tow.

Regina's heart beat so rapidly she could feel it against her chest. The rustling in the bushes grew louder and louder with each passing second. The ground began to shake and vibrate below her. The rhythm became distinct and separated into footsteps. Regina could feel the adrenaline build in her system and burn as it coursed through her body. Emma stared into the darkness, her body motionless. The sun had set while Regina had been binding her leg and the darkness made for an impossible escape from whatever was big enough to compromise the silence of the jungle. The tree behind the women began to sway from the rumble of the ground and its bark splintered as its massive trunk split horizontally. Regina slipped her arm under Emma and tried to lift her. The tree continued its trajectory and snapped. It pinned Emma at the arm against the boulder she'd been resting on .She let out a pained scream as the wood made contact with her bare arm. As the tree came crashing down, Regina was flung backwards by its massive branches.

Emma looked toward the shacking bushes and saw the outline of a giant beast hurtling toward them. Its structure was like nothing she had ever seen before. At least 30 hands tall, larger than anything she recognized as a land animal. It was covered in moss and mangled fur and moved with the speed of a greyhound despite its size. She looked for Regina, finally spotting her 3 feet away unconscious and covered by the garbled branches of the tree.

"Regina!"

Emma pulled desperately at her arm. She was just out of arms reach. It couldn't end here; one of them had to get to Henry. The beast continued to hurtle himself toward them, increasing its speed as their scent became stronger. Emma pulled harder on her arm and screamed when the bark cut a deep wound along her forearm. She gained just enough leeway to graze Regina's fingers with her own. She desperately tried again and gained precious inches this time locking her index finger with Regina's.

Her vision went black and a current began to buzz in her fingers. The vague tingling quickly became a violent piercing jetting from her head to her toes. The pressure of Regina's finger against hers disappeared. The forest disappeared. An eerie silence took over her senses, ripping her from her current reality. Instead of the smells of a far off imaginary land , she could smell fresh cut grass and a familiar citrus perfume. Her hearing was the first of her senses to reappear.

"8 Mississippi, 9 Mississippi, 10 Mississippi. Ready or not here I come!"

Her vision cleared to make way for an image she thought she'd never see again, Henry's face. But it wasn't her Henry, this Henry was only 3 maybe 4 years old. He was standing in front of the apple tree in his mother's backyard. The tree was in full bloom, each branch overwhelmed by the weight of ready to harvest apples. She watched the scene in front of her play out.

Henry giggled gleefully as Regina chased him around the yard and into the house. The boy looked back to gauge just how close his mother was so he could change directions to evade her. She followed him back to the yard and scooped the toddler into her arms swinging him in circles, delight etched into her face. When both mother and son became dizzy they fell to the ground and laid in the grass, arms and legs sprawled about. Emma caught a glimpse of the apple tree's trunk. Lines were carved along the bark starting a few feet off the ground, each with a corresponding year carved alongside it.

"Every year Henry and I would carve a mark for his height into the tree." Emma turned her head to find Regina standing behind her. Not the happy mother of a toddler she had just witnessed but the heavy hearted queen who had ventures to Neverland with her.

"Where are we?"

"A memory, I felt you grab my finger and this memory came to mind. Henry used to hang his finger off mine like you just did. It was enough to reawaken the moment. "

"Are we still in Neverland?"

"Yes and no. We are in a state of flux .We haven't actually left but we are no longer in danger. For the time being anyway, the memory will become unstable eventually."

"How is this even possible?"

"I've heard of it happening but usually under very different circumstances."

"How do we get back?"

"Same way we got here." Regina stole one last glance at the images from her memory and offered Emma her hand. As soon as their hands touched, the unmistakable current returned with vengeance. The memory vanished from view and was replaced with pitch black. The silence crawled back into Emma's bones and all her sensations were overshadowed by the piercing vibration.


	3. Deadly Visions

Braided rope across her tender skin was the first sensation she was aware of. Her hands were bound behind her; shoulders aching from overextension. She had the distinct sensation she was swaying, her lightheadedness adding to the assumption. The cause for her movement came into focus as her eyes began to cooperate. A vast canyon lay before her miles long and extending until the horizon. She was suspended in the middle of it by a wooden pole and massive ropes secured to rock facings on either side of her. Each rope was intricately looped through pulleys and an iron levee capable of reeling her in.

"Nice of you to finally join me."

Snow jerked her head behind her to see Rumple tied in a similar manner. The quick movement caused her pole to swing with a greater range and gave her a full view of just how high she was suspended. She shuttered at the high to which they were hoisted. She bit her bottom lip hard enough to break the skin.

"Why haven't you used your magic to get us out of here!?"

"Don't think I haven't tried dearie, Pan has rendered me powerless for the time being."

Snow's face flushed a color becoming of her name as fear settled in her stomach. "What do we do know?"

"Wait… in silence preferably."

"You're just going to sit here and hope someone comes to rescue us?"

"No I'm going to wait until the not too intelligent pirates monitoring the levees reel us in.' Rumple motioned with his head to the two raggedy men standing guard.

'What make you so sure they will? Why wouldn't they just leave us here to die?"

'Because if they wanted us dead, we'd be dead. They need something from us and this stunt is designed to kill our resolve."

"How long will they leave us here?'

"As long as it takes."

Snow looked at the men, each wearing a sword holster and filthy garments of cotton and leather; none to concern with the people suspended above the expanse. The taller of the men spun a knife on the edge of his calloused fingers and hummed a tune that echoed through the region; a simple haunting melody that sent shivers up Snow's spine.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Emma was violently sucked back into the present still feeling the electrical current in her fingertips. Her eyes fluttered open and immediately focused on the sight of Regina trying to lift the tree pinning her arm down. She'd managed to lift the branch just enough to allow Emma to wiggle free. The bruising on her arms had already begun to darken and the cut where the wood sawed into her flesh was still bleeding. Regina ripped a portion of her sleeve and used it to apply pressure to the wound causing Emma to wince.

"Ouch…"

"Don't be a baby."

"You have a tree try to take your arm off and see how it feels."

"I've had much worse."

Emma didn't have any way to counter such a blatant comment; knowing it was the truth. Silence settled between them as Regina continued to apply pressure to the laceration, eventually getting the bleeding under control. She gathered a few large leaves from a nearby fern and dressed the wounds with them.

"We need to find a way to clean the wound before infection sets in and a safe place to spend the night. We are no use to Henry battle worn." Regina balanced on her toes and crouched down to where Emma's leg lay. She changed the dressings from earlier as well. As soon as it was freshened, Regina put her arm under Emma's shoulder and lifted her to a standing position.

"I saw a ridge about a mile north. It seems like an adequate shelter for the night. We should still take turns standing watch. Well I'll stand and you can…" She exaggerated Emma trying to balance on one leg. Emma arched her brow and pursed her lip, letting Regina's sass go unchallenged. She continued hooping as Regina gave her some much needed balance by supporting some of her weight.

The trek became increasingly uphill as the trail Regina forged was covered with over grown roots and rocks of varying sizes and shapes. Regina stopped frequently to let Emma rest. The stars were bright enough to illuminate the way but still keep the women shrouded from predators. The trek took more than an hour and when they reached the overhang both were covered in sweat and grime. Regina helped Emma lean against a rock wall and put a few feet in-between them. She rubbed her forearms and stared at the stars; her voice just above a whisper when she decided to speak.

"Do you think he's scared?"

'Henry? Yeah, probably a little but he's strong and he knows we're coming for him."

Regina held Emma's gaze for a moment before disappearing into the shadows and saying out of ear shot a hushed prayer.

"Mommy loves you Henry. I'm coming to get you."

She kissed her thumb and lifted it to the sky; turning on her heels and heading back to camp as her mind raced. She stared at Emma trying to reassure herself that Henry was indeed strong and knew his family would never leave him behind. With an audible sigh she chose to believe Emma's words and momentarily banished the worry from her thoughts.

"I'll take the first shift, get some rest." Regina said settling against a palm, wrapping the folds of her jacket against her body until they meet and watched Emma drift to sleep.

Sleep greeted Emma with a guilty twinge, her body desperate for a reprieve from the torturous day but her mind wanting to search out answers and figure out where Pan was keeping Henry. The longer Henry was left to Pan's devices the farther from reality he would be pulled. Her eye lids fell slowly surrounding her in darkness and a familiar sense of calm greeted her. The sensation lasted a mere moment before her mind was flooded with images. Each image a vivid memory; the sting of a tattoo needle as it punctured her skin, the day she entered Storybrooke wind pounding against her chest, the first time Henry hugged her and buried his head in her ribs. The next image was of the fear in Regina's eyes when Henry was trapped in the mine shaft two years prior. Numerous images of encounters with Regina and Henry fired in quick succession. As quickly as the images came, the next flash played painfully slow and wasn't a memory; it played before Emma's eyes in its full horror.

She was in Neverland, the exact spot she had fallen asleep but this time she was watching herself, floating above the commotion. She saw Regina fighting the monster they had escaped earlier trying to rip into her skin with its massive claws. She managed to fight off the creature momentarily until she was pinned and it slashed at her throat. She fell to the ground, her lifeless body bent over a tree stump. Emma tried to scream but sound didn't escape from her throat. She tried to move closer to Regina's body but remained motionless. She was paralyzed unable to interact with her environment. She then saw herself run to Regina's side and lay her head in her lap, tears staining her face. The parade of images ceased and she was returned to darkness. A hollow silence echoed from ear to ear, abruptly sliced by Pan's cackling laughter.

"You had such a grand future my little lost girl, too bad you'll never live to see it." Pan's voice rang in her mind.

As his voice faded, Emma panicked; feelings of claustrophobia clung to her mind and gripped with vengeance. She saw nothing but darkness, the vise her mind was trapped in held her immobile, unable to awaken. Among her chaotic thoughts, another voice surfaced. It was unfamiliar, dripping with honey and delivered words like a serenade.

"I haven't much time before Pan realizes I piggy backed his connection to your mind. Go to the swamp, 10 miles North West and seek a healer named Nami. She will be waiting for you. God speed."

Emma roused herself to consciousness and flung herself to a sitting position; startling Regina.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! Do you want every creature in this forest to know our whereabouts?" Regina whispered harshly.

Emma's face was a ghostly white and her eyes wide. Her breathing was labored as her fingers fidgeted with the soil she sat in. She slowly turned her head to face Regina and without changing her expression mumbled "We have to leave. Now!"

"Why? We have no idea what's in the forest and I would like the benefit of day light when facing the unknown. Unless you have a death wish I don't know about."

" I saw…I saw what happens if we stay here. Pan, he spoke to me. A woman's voice followed his and said there was a healer in the swamp that could help us."

"You're seriously going to trust a mysterious voice and a vision. You do recall where we are? How do you know it isn't a trap leading us straight into Pan's hands? That he didn't plant her voice as well."

"I don't know that it isn't but it's our only option and for some reason I trust her. I can't explain it. All I know is we are sitting ducks if we stay here. I can't be much help with a busted leg and if she can help I'm willing to try."

" I have half a mind to leave you here but explaining to Henry how I left you to die isn't the warm reunion I had in mind."

Emma started to lift herself off the ground, struggling to gain her balance. Regina allowed her to waiver for a moment before she took her arm and helped her stand.

"Where is this vision of yours leading us?"

"10 miles North West into the swamp"

"Great, a huge trek with a gimp that will most likely end up being a trap…let's get started shall we."

Regina once again locked her arm under Emma's shoulder and resting her hand on the opposite shoulder gave Emma stability. They began the day's journey at a glacial pace.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

The granite walls glistened with teal florescence; the cavern was pitch black except for the illumination from the neon light. Streams of the teal moved in flowing patterns and tributaries off of each other throughout the surface's cracks. Water flowed down deep rivets in the walls meeting with a steady creek along the caverns rocky floor. Charming extended his hand to touch the moving light.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, mate. Those little buggers are highly hallucinogenic. One prick and you'll be screaming from the pink monsters you think are chasing you."

Charming jumped back from the wall so abruptly he lost his footing; slipping on the rocks behind him, he ended up landing in the creek. His shoes and trousers soaked, Hook extended a hand and helped him to his feet.

"The Grotto is filled with deadly surprises, best to keep your hands to yourself." Hook did nothing to suppress his laughter as Charming wrung the water from his pant legs.

The cavern was roughly ten feet wide but the longer they traveled; it seemed to narrow and bend in sharp turns. Glowing teal changed to a blinding ivory and a soft lavender the deeper they trekked. The glow bugs released a constant hum that changed in volume depending on their color. As soon as Hook and Charming stepped into the ivory light they began to emit a high pitched ear shattering squeal; Hook took off at a sprint, his hands suctioned to his ears. Charming ran after him; diligent in his footwork not wanting to repeat his earlier spill. As they entered the next teal section, the pleasant humming returned to the walls.

"What was that?" Charming shouted, still regaining his normal ear function.

'Alarm system, they know we're here now. We need to get through here as fast as we can."

"Who knows we're here?"

"The Mermaids."

"Why would they even be a threat, we aren't near any bodies of water."

"You really don't know anything about Neverland, do you? The Grotto is enchanted to allow them to walk within its walls and they aren't too fond of house guests."

Small pieces of rubble began to trickle down the walls as Hook finished speaking; each piece fell from a ledge just above their heads. The overhang wasn't illuminated by the glow bugs and from the depth of the darkness, a voice echoed through the black; scattering more rubble with its vibrations.

"Got yourself in a bind again, haven't you Hook?"

Through the bleak echo of the corridor, a scraping followed by the pounding of feet meeting ground sounded. A figure moved towards them having jumped from the ledge seamlessly. It lingered taking one step at a time toward them until the teal illuminated a woman's features: opaque skin, green eyes and wild blonde curls.

"Tinkerbelle." Hook squinted taking a step back when he recognized who had spoken. His voice catching in his throat.

"You seem surprised to see me. I don't know how that's possible since you knew I was on this island, there's no way off of it. Especially after you so ceremoniously left me here. Is your memory suddenly foggy?"

"You know I had no control over that!"

"You had a choice and yours was to strand me here!"

"As much as I'd love to stroll down memory lane with you, we are under a time constraint here and I know there are a few dozen fishy ladies who would jump at the chance to put my jewels on a skewer."

"Why don't I whistle and get their attention then." Tink smirked, lifting her fingers to her lips.

Charming placed his hand on her arm and stepped in-between them.

"No wait, please. Whatever your conflict is with Hook, I have to get out of here and back to my family. My grandson has been kidnapped by Pan and the longer he's gone the less likely we are to find him."

"Your Grandson? How is that possible?"

"Long story."

"I saw Pan smuggle a new boy into Indian's territory two moons ago. Henry is his name?" Tink craned her neck around Charming and scowled at Hook.

""Yes, yes it is. You know where he is? Can you take us to him?

"And why would I do that? However long or tragic or heroic your story is, I don't care. Pan isn't an enemy I wish to have."

Charming moved closer and touched Tink's arm again "I'm hoping you'll help because there's a scared little boy missing his family on this island. "

Tink arched a brow and crossed her arms solidifying her stance and shrugging off Charming's hand. "You must think I'm some kind of pliable sap, who'll fall for any tear jerking story. I'm no longer the warm and caring fairy I once was. I've seen hundreds of boys be taken by Pan, this one is no different."

Charming was about to plead the case for his grandson, when Hook interjected; a smirk of his own forming.

"Wait just a moment. If I remember correctly, my dear Tinkerbelle, you have a sorted history with Queen Regina, do you not?"

"Me and most of the realms, what's your point?"

"She's here, with my crew. If you lead us to the boy, you can have a run at her."

A seething rage bubbled behind her eyes, intensifying their green hue. The sides of her lips curled slowly upwards with the possibility of once and for all getting revenge against the woman who'd taken so much from her. She extended her hand to Hook and confidently shook his sandpaper hands.

"Deal."

"Well then, lead the way my lady." Hook bowed and swept his hand in the direction of the next curve in the cavern. As Tink walked ahead, Charming caught Hook by the arm.

"Does she know Regina is here for Henry? She'll never tell us where he is if she thinks this is all in favor of her. For all we know, Regina is already dead."

Hook leaned into Charmin's ear and whispered. "That's why I plan on her never finding out. We won't need her assistance long enough for it to pose a problem."


End file.
